[The Mysterious Stranger and Other Stories by Mark Twain]@TWC D-Link bookThe Mysterious Stranger and Other Stories CHAPTER 3 5/22
We wanted to call the people away, too, but he said never mind them; they were of no consequence, and we could make more, some time or other, if we needed them. A small storm-cloud began to settle down black over the castle, and the miniature lightning and thunder began to play, and the ground to quiver, and the wind to pipe and wheeze, and the rain to fall, and all the people flocked into the castle for shelter.
The cloud settled down blacker and blacker, and one could see the castle only dimly through it; the lightning blazed out flash upon flash and pierced the castle and set it on fire, and the flames shone out red and fierce through the cloud, and the people came flying out, shrieking, but Satan brushed them back, paying no attention to our begging and crying and imploring; and in the midst of the howling of the wind and volleying of the thunder the magazine blew up, the earthquake rent the ground wide, and the castle's wreck and ruin tumbled into the chasm, which swallowed it from sight, and closed upon it, with all that innocent life, not one of the five hundred poor creatures escaping.
Our hearts were broken; we could not keep from crying. "Don't cry," Satan said; "they were of no value." "But they are gone to hell!" "Oh, it is no matter; we can make plenty more." It was of no use to try to move him; evidently he was wholly without feeling, and could not understand.
He was full of bubbling spirits, and as gay as if this were a wedding instead of a fiendish massacre.
And he was bent on making us feel as he did, and of course his magic accomplished his desire.
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